A Grain of Sand Among the Leaves
by Yemi Hikari
Summary: Kushina finds out she's unable to have children, but through someone else's misfortune still finds herself blessed with the chance to act in the capacity of a mother.
1. The Way the World Curses Us

_Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto. This story was written for Wattpad's twenty-third fanfic contest Different World's where the goal was to remove a character by either having them never exist, or by killing them off, then exploring how the canon would change. I knew the prompt wasn't something I could do within the word limit, so since they allow stories to be continued I went ahead and simply wrote a few chapters which fell into the word limit. This one ended up being one of the winners._

 _The character I choose to remove was Naruto, where he never existed within the story. The first thought which popped into my mind was, if Naruto never existed, his parents never would have died, and that would in turn change other things as well._

 **A Grain of Sand Among the Leaves  
 _The Way the World Curses Us_**

" _I'm sorry._ "

The words rang hollow, eating away at Kushina's soul, her eyes fixed on the wall in front of her as her fingers gripped the bench tightly, turning her knuckles white. The apology came from one of the medical-nin months ago, and yet she found herself unable to erase the words from her mind.

" _It was a false positive,_ " was soon followed up with the news she couldn't have children. At first, she thought to blame the spirit sealed inside of her for her fate, but realized the luck she had couldn't be blamed on the fox; the previous host had, in fact, had children, plenty of them. Kushina never thought she'd want to be a mother, but the false promise and seeing her best friend Mikoto's two children created a strange ache that wouldn't go away.

A thump drew her mind away from her own troubles, her violet eyes taking in the white haired youth sitting on the bench near her, his foot having kicked the bench in irritation. A smirk spread across her face as she lunged at the arm of the fourteen-year-old arm, attaching herself firmly, the urge to tease him chasing away the doldrums. "Let's hit the hot-springs when Minato's done with the Kazekage, alright?"

"Ew, no." Kakashi shrugged her arm away, a blush spreading across his cheeks and ears, made even more evident with his white hair. "How come you've become more clingy lately?"

The tone of the young jonin's voice was strained, his dark eyes darting away as his mouth moved under the mask as his lips pushed into a frown. Kushina ignored his question, and instead latched herself to his arm. "Come on. You, me, Minato. We're family, right, so it's not a problem."

"I'm not a little kid anymore! Sheesh!" The fourteen-year-old shrugged her off again, then muttered under his breath. "It would have been fun, though, if..." Kakashi stopped, his eyes closing, his Adam's apple visibly bobbing. The teen leaned back, raising up his fingers to twiddle them in a nervous manner. Kushina pulled back, looking up at the ceiling as the negative feelings came hurtling back. "Thank you for trying to cheer me up, though."

"We shouldn't have told you."

Kushina remembered how the young man's eyes lit up when she and Minato told the young jonin that they were expecting, but also how they darkened upon finding out the mistake. The two watched as Kakashi ranted about how it wasn't fair, that two people who would make wonderful parents would be denied such a joy.

Her eyes drifted to the other side of the small hallway at the two small children huddled together, their small feet hanging from the bench. Kushina watched their hands clench together, their small faces filled with worry. The young female leaned forward, smiling. "Don't worry you two, your mother and the baby will be alright. Your uncle Yashamaru and the Hokage are both in there, so things will be fine."

The eyes of the two children widened, and Kakashi lets out a laugh. "Little kids are afraid of you." Kushina's lips pushed together, the side of her hand coming down on the top of the young jonin's head. "Ouch!"

…

The situation they were in started simple enough.

The Kazekage's brother-in-law greeted them at the entrance to Suna, Minato managed to smile, never faltering in his role as Hokage. Both Kushina and Kakashi, however, didn't smile, although the fact wasn't obvious on the younger due to the mask he always wore. Anyone looking at the pair could see their eyes drifting away, but also dull from boredom and melancholy.

" _Why did Minato pick me over one of the Anbu for his personal bodyguard on this political meeting with Suna?_ " The question from Kakashi never got answered, as all three knew that the young man wasn't picked just because of his skill, although said skill was a selling point. Kushina remembered Minato telling her he thought all three of them needed a change of scenery after the news.

Yashamaru gave them a weak smile, the circles under his eyes all too evident. "I'm glad that you were able to come here for the discussions Lord Hokage. It's not the best time for me to be away right now."

Minato's hand reached up to touch his hat, a smile spreading across his lips. "What's Rasa up to now?"

The look in Yashamaru's indigo colored eyes told both Kushina and Minato that the young man didn't wish to talk about whatever Rasa was up to, or at least not there. Kakashi's head jolted around. "Wait. You're on first name basis with the Kazekage, sensei?"

"Well, he's not that much older than me. It's complicated really, but both Kushina and I are on friendly terms with the Kazekage and his wife." Minato smiled. "How is your sister? Isn't a third child on the way?"

The Konoha shinobi watched as the color drained from Yashamaru's face. "Perhaps we should find somewhere private to speak."

Kakashi's eyes blinked in confusion, only for the young jonin to shrug his shoulders as he followed after the adults to the residence of the Kazekage. Two small children came running up to Yashamaru, their eyes wide. Minato bent down. "Hello Lady Temari, Lord Kankuro." Out of his pocket, the Hokage fetched some sweets, passing them into the hands of the small children so they took off. He turned his head towards Kakashi, his eyes dark despite the mirthful smile on his face. "Could you watch the Kazekage's children so I can speak to Lord Yashimaru?"

"But..." The young jonin looked rather betrayed, but Yashamaru came to the Hokage's rescue.

"Please. This isn't something they should be hearing, and there aren't many people I would trust with the lives of my niece and nephew." Yashamaru's whisper made the eyes of the young jonin widen, but then he turned towards the children. "Lady Temari, Lord Kankuro, why don't you show some of your toys to the Hokage's personal bodyguard while we talk."

"You're the personal bodyguard of the Hokage?" The little girl's eyes widened. "You're so young, though!"

The boy removed a sticky hand from his mouth and grabbed Kakashi's hand dragging the rather shocked teen away. "Puppets. Puppets."

"Kankuro likes puppets. He likes them a lot."

Yashamaru let out a sigh of relief but said nothing. Minato sat down on the couch, Kushina sitting next to him. "What has Suna's council pressured Rasa into this time that has you worried about your sister this time?"

The sandy-haired young man sat across from them, his head hanging low. "I'm not just worried about her this time, but also the baby." Yashamaru swallowed. "You're aware of the fact the council wanted to try to make Lady Temari and Lord Kankuro the next jinchuriki for Shukaku, but they weren't compatible?"

"So they want to try and make this child a jinchuriki?" Minato let out a sigh.

Kushina's mouth twisted into a smile. "I told you before, everything will be fine. The child will be a good jinchuriki as long as they're shown the love they need. It will give Minato and me an excuse to come and visit more, to see the mini jinchuriki, right."

She elbowed her husband in the ribs, not expecting Yashamaru's next comment. "They're making nii-sama seal Shukaku in the child before it's born. The sealing is actually occurring right as we speak."

The red-haired female felt the color drain from her face, and looking at her husband she could see he felt the same way. Minato cleared his throat, trying to remain calm. "Surely things aren't that bad in Suna."

"Things are that bad in Suna."

The cruelty of the world hit Kushina hard. If the world didn't curse one by taking away a particular chance or opportunity naturally, the people of the world found ways to crush things which should have been filled with joy for their own selfish gains. She opened her mouth to say something, only for a knock to jar the words into silence.

Yashamaru went to the door, taking the message before coming back, the color drained from his face. "There have been complications. I need to go to the hospital. My medical ninjitsu is needed."

Minato's smiled weakly at him. "I'll come and see if I can be of help as well." Her husband turned to her, his beautiful blue eyes filled with sadness. "Kushina, could you bring Kakashi and the children to the hospital. Try not to let onto how serious the situation is."

…

There she and Kakashi were, attempting to alleviate the anxieties of a pair of toddlers while struggling with their own form of despair. The words "your uncle Yashamaru and the Hokage are both in there, so things will be fine" rang hollow, and the reaction of Temari and Kankuro honestly didn't help.

The door finally opened, and Minato stepped out, a frown on his face. Her head shot up, and she opened her mouth only for her husband to pull her away. "Karura and the baby..."

"The babies name is Gaara. That's what Karura called him. She's not doing too well, though."

"Don't tell me..." Kushina felt her breath draw short, a hand reaching up to her chest.

"She's not going to die, but..." Minato's blue eyes darted away, his mouth twisted into a frown. "It's going to take her a long time to recover from this, and Rasa hanging over her like he is honestly isn't going to help. She's so weak she can't even hold the baby."

"Um..." Her head turned to look at the two children. "You should probably tell them. I mean..."

Yashamaru slipped out of the room then, his entire body collapsing against the wall as his body slunk down, his eyes wide. Temari and Kankuro noticed, and both burst into tears. The shock Yashamaru felt disappeared, and he pushed his tired body up so he could move over to the two children, a smile on his face, one hand reaching out to brush away a lock of hair away from Temari's forehead, only to stop upon seeing how messy they were.

"Your mama and baby brother are going to be fine." The sandy-haired man let out a sigh. "I'm just very tired, and so is your mama and papa. This means you'll need to be on your best behavior for them, particularly your mama as it's going to be some time before she's able to do things with you two like she used to."

Kakuro's cheeks puffed out. "I hate baby!" Even Kakashi's eyes widened as the child's legs continued to kick out. "I hate baby! I hate him! I hate him!"

Kushina's stomach lurched, her own problems seeming so small in comparison. She opened her mouth to say something, forgetting the fact the Kazekage's children were wary of her, only for the door to open as Lady Chiyo opened the door. "The Lord Kazekage wishes to speak to you Lord Hokage, and your wife, along with Lord Yashamaru. Mind you, I don't agree with their decision, but..."

The old woman became silent, before heading over to the two children, her hands washed. She spoke in a whisper, managing to comfort and calm down Kankuro as Minato took Kushina's arm and dragged her into the room. Rasa turned to look at them, his facial features showing emotion, something she'd rarely seen from the man outside of what Karura could muster out of the auburn-haired man. "I..."

"Do you want to hold him Kushina?" Karura's voice was barely audible as Kushina stepped forward.

"I'd love to. He..." Her violet eyes widened at how small the auburn-haired child was, smaller than any other baby she'd seen. "He's precious! So tiny, and fragile."

"I know."

Gently she lifted the child up, cradling him in her arms, letting him grasp one of her fingers. She watched Rasa step closer, and a growl escaped her lips. "Don't you dare get near my baby or my Karura, you bastard!"

One of the few emotions she'd seen from Rasa, his temper, flashed across his eyes. The man stepped forward, his chakra spiking out of control with killing intent only for Yashamaru and Minato to pull him back as Rasa's teeth ground together. Yashamaru let out a sigh. "Nii-sama, you rather had that one coming you know."

Kushina smirked, knowing full good temperament wise her and the Kazekage had never gotten along, only for a small movement to draw her attention back to the infant. "He is so adorable. So precious. You're so lucky."

"I'd like you to take care of him for me, you and Minato."

Out of the corner of her eye, Kushina watched Minato's body go slack, his jaw dropping, his blue eyes showing he was as confused as her. Yashamaru's facial features twisted up in panic, turning to his brother-in-law. "What is the meaning of this? I could take care of Gaara."

Rasa looked away, his arms folding across his chest. "You'll have enough on your hands with your council duties, and taking care of your sister until she recovers." Yashamaru's eyes flashed, almost as if he planned on attacking the Kazekage. "I'm not happy with this either, but it is Karura's decision."

"Why?" Yashamaru turned to look at his sister, almost as if he were going to cry.

"Was it not you Kushina who told me that to overcome the trials of being a jinchuriki that one needs love?" Karura's eyes closed, dull and distant due to pain and weakness. "This little one needs the love of a mother, and I can't give that to him right now. Plus, who better to teach a jinchuriki to be a jinchuriki than another jinchuriki."

"It doesn't feel right." Kushina glanced down at the small child in her arms. "Gaara is your little one."

"I want that little one to devour as much love as possible so that he can survive. He's special, the first jinchuriki to be born a jinchuriki. You're already like a sister, so it works out. Plus, I'm not giving up on being his mother. I'm just doing what is best for him because I love him."

Minato rubbed the back of his head, his smile returned despite the intense situation. "You do know the council won't be happy about this, as will the people of Suna."

"I don't want this child pulled into the politics here. I want him to be a child, where nobody knows what he is."

Kushina took a deep breath, before taking Karura's hand, watching the sandy-haired woman fall asleep, holding the infant the mother couldn't. " _Why does this scream this being the wrong thing to do, and yet the right thing to do at the same time?_ "


	2. Babies Are the Power of Youth

**A Grain of Sand Among the Leaves  
 _Babies Are the Power of Youth_**

Two dark eyes stared at the thing which turned his world upside down. The fourteen-year-old leaned forward, watching the thing blink at him, the seafoam green eyes staring at him, the dark rings bringing out the paleness of the things eyes and skin. The auburn locks also stood out in a stark contrast.

Kakashi reached a small finger out to touch the thing on the cheek, inching closer to the so far offending object. A small hand, however, had another idea, reaching out to clutch his finger. The young shinobi's eyes widened, a gasp escaping his mouth as he pulled his finger away from the soft fingers. "Ahh..."

The thing let out a squeal, letting him now how disappointed it was at losing the finger.

"Oh." Kakashi pulled his pointer finger back and offered the thing his pinky instead. "Weird."

"You were like that once, you know."

Kakashi jolted, pulling his finger away, pulling himself up into the kitchen chair so his legs were pulled up to his chest, and one arm looping back. His dark eyes widened to see Kushina hauling in the laundry from their trip, setting it onto the kitchen table. Their laundry, as his bags were back at his place, the place his father left him. "Kushina!"

The red-haired female looked out at the night sky. The color was a nice purple, dotted still with a few stars, and the sun rising up. She turned back, tossing some of the clothes at him to fold. "It's good to see you opening up to Gaara."

The fourteen-year-old swallowed, looking down at Minato's boxers, but also not wanting to get on Kushina's bad side by not helping out. "I think this is a bad idea."

The smile left Kushina's face. "You didn't say anything while we were in Suna.

Kakashi shook his head, folding the pair of boxers and setting it on the table. The young shinobi prided himself at not being easily shocked at things but found himself unable to say anything when Minato and Kushina brought out the Kazekage's youngest. Negotiations hadn't even occurred, and they were already leaving. Yashamaru came with them, helping them to gather the supplies they would need to take care of the infant.

Yashamaru also made sure their departure wasn't noticed, and then there hadn't been time to ask why the Hokage and his wife were taking care of the small infant. Instead, Kakashi found himself sitting on rocks in the desert, watching from above as if he were some kind of wild animal in need of training. Nobody offered to explain things to him, and they made sure to come into Konoha at night so that they could have time to settle Gaara into his new home.

"I don't think Minato would appreciate you twisting his favorite shirt to pieces, Kakashi."

The teen looked up, a sound of choking resounding from his mouth. Kakashi licked his lips, just as a yawn made his white head of hair turn so he was looking at Minato. The Hokage wasn't fully awake, and yet stepped forward to sit at the table, tickling Gaara's foot so that the infant kicked, and let out a content sound. The man had a smile on his face, something he'd not seen since they got news Kushina couldn't have children.

"Kakashi thinks this is a bad idea."

Minato frowned, his fingers tapping the table. "It is, but it's also the best option."

"How so?"

"How to explain this?" The Hokage looked up at the ceiling. "See, do you remember when I asked you to step away? It wasn't because I didn't want you to hear our conversation, but because we didn't want Gaara's older siblings to know."

Kakashi swallowed, sitting down at the table, leaving the laundry to Kushina as he stuck out his pinky finger for Gaara to take. "What of this conversation?"

"Well, we were discussing the politics of Suna. Here I only have three members of our council of elders, and they're there to advise me, not make decisions. They only go against me if they think my actions are to the detriment of the village."

"You do know that they'll think this, right?"

"Yes, but what's done is done." Minato's smile had left when the conversation shifted gears. "In Suna though the council has a lot more power. Rasa is only able to act when he thinks that something is to the detriment of the village, but in part, it is really hard for him to argue with the council. They see him as young, and inexperienced when he's really not."

"And?" Kakashi leaned back, tugging his finger away, getting a negative response from Gaara. His arms tucked behind his back.

"The Suna council wanted a jinchuriki. " Minato's words caused Kakashi's stomach to lurch, bile rising in his throat. As the fourteen-year-old tried to push back his disgust, the fourth Hokage continued. "They tried turning Rasa's two older children into jinchuriki, but they weren't a match. Thus they put pressure on the Kazekage to put the spirit in before the child was even born."

Kakashi stood up, the chair clattering to the floor. "There is nothing in the world that would warrant doing such a thing! I know that you're on friendly terms with the Kazekage sensei, but..."

"Suna's having economic problems. Having a jinchuriki makes them more marketable for ninja missions. You do realize that the ninja world sees the jinchuriki as weapons?"

The fourteen-year-old turned to look at Kushina, only to see the female shrug her shoulders, a smile plastered on her face. "That's how the world sees us."

The teen let out an irritated sound before pulling up the chair, sitting down with a thump, his arms crossing his chest. One hand reached up to pull down his mask. "Sensei, this isn't right."

"You're correct. The world doesn't always work the way it should. You of all people should know this."

Air rushed out of Kakashi's nostrils, a sound of irritation escaping his lips. Kushina continued to fold the clothing, humming away before noticing the infant let out a yawn. She set the clothing down and leaned over. "Oh, I wish I had a camera, so I could take a picture for Karura."

"Why? They gave up their child." A silence fell over the room, making the teen look at the ground, swallowing.

Minato's fingers drummed the top of the table, interrupting the silence. Eventually, he spoke again, having thought out what he wanted to say. "They gave up their child so that the child would have a better life."

"It's still not right."

Kakashi felt his facial features twist up, only to look up when Minato touched his shoulder. "Lady Karura's not well. There's no telling when she would be able to care for her child. The Kazekage doesn't have the time. Lord Yashamaru is taking care of not just his sister's care, but the two other children. Add to this, Gaara was born two to three months early. Konoha's medical facilities are far more suited to take care of a premature child."

"Plus," Kushina gently lifted the infant up, letting him rest against her shoulder, rubbing his bare back. "I'm a jinchuriki. I'm to teach him how to be one, just like my predecessor did for me. This way he's not dragged into Suna's politics. Life there is rather brutal."

"Yeah, but the council isn't going to like this. They're not going to like it at all."

…

Confusion rattled around in the young teens head as he looked out upon Konoha, the rising sun setting a warm glow upon the hidden village. Kakashi snuck out through the Hokage's window, the same way he'd come in, still remembering how much Kushina doted on the infant as they traveled back to Konoha. Minato kept a wary eye on the trail back to Suna, and ever so often would travel back to cover up their trail.

No matter how much Minato said thing were fine, the sinking feeling remained. The fourth Hokage wouldn't have been cautious if there wasn't something to be wary of. Plus, the child was a jinchuriki. Kakashi knew quite well the child was born a jinchuriki; the child, after all, had been born two to three months early, meaning the Kazekage had ordered the demon to be sealed in the child before he was even born.

Bile rose to Kakashi's throat, quickly swallowed back as his mind continued to think. All of Suna would know; they would know that the child was born early, but also that the beast was sealed in it. Never before had there been someone born a jinchuriki, so Kakashi could easily imagine the negative reaction such a child would receive, particularly when the birth of the infant cost the Kazekage's wife so much.

"Damn."

A resounding slap came from behind, nearly knocking him over the railing. Kakashi felt his eyes widen, and his head turned to look behind him. Guy stood behind him, grinning like an idiot, a thumb held up. "How are you doing this morning Kakashi?"

The fourteen-year-old jonin let out a sigh, waving the other young shinobi off. "Sorry. Not really in the mood Guy." Guy was probably the only person he knew that you could hear their face drop, and Kakashi found himself turning his head back to look at the other teen. "What now?"

"I came to greet you on the day you get back, and this is the appreciation I get!" The pout of the other fourteen-year-old deepened.

"Please tell me you're not going to cry?"

"If I cry, will I get a different reaction from you?" Guy's pout quickly changed to a huge smile, and his hand held up another thumbs up.

"Um. No. That's just creepy. Particularly since you're now smiling." Kakashi pushed himself up. The young jonin shoved his hands into his pocket and scraped his foot against the floor. "It's not that I don't appreciate the thought Guy, I just don't fill in the mood for socializing."

"Something bothering you?"

"Not something I can talk about, but you'll likely find out some of the details later on. No way the sensei is going to keep it a secret." Kakashi's eyes blinked, a thought crossing his mind. He turned to look at the guy, an honest question slipping from his mouth. "Hey, if something made sensei and his wife happy, do you think it's fine, even if it is troublesome?"

Guy placed a hand on his chin. "Let me think. Isn't that the power of youth, to live life to the fullest? Does this thing make the fourth and Lady Kushina live out the power of youth?"

A chuckle escaped Kakashi's lips. "I guess it is okay."

He leaned forward, letting the soft breeze blow across his brown, a smile appearing under the mask as he leaned out over the railing. A few minutes later Minato's voice was heard. "Good morning Guy. It's good to see you in a better mood Kakashi. Mind accompanying Kushina and I to the meeting with the elders?"

The white-haired teen pushed himself up from the railing to see his mentor smiling at him, the blue eyes making the young jonin feel safe. Kushina also had a smile on her face, but her eyes sparkled with that look girls got when they saw something cute, something he didn't ever expect from his sensei's wife. The small infant was clutched in her arms.

Kakashi nearly choked as the same look in Kushina's eyes appeared in Guy's. The other teen moved forward to peek at the baby, his smile way to giddy. "A baby! A baby!" Suddenly Guy turned a grin on his face and a thumbs up. "Man, for a second you had me worried. Of course, a baby brings out the power of youth!"

For some reason, Kakashi gave a thumbs up back, his sudden smile hidden by his mask. "Okay!"

A laugh escaped Minato's lips, his calloused hand reaching out to ruffle Kakashi's white locks of hair. Even though Kakashi said things would be okay, there was still the chance it would not be. Still, Guy, in his own strange way, managed to lighten his mood.


	3. Can't Change What's Already Happened

**A Grain of Sand Among the Leaves  
 _Can't Change What's Already Happen_**

"I am not understanding how you thought this was a good idea."

The third Hokage sat between the two other members of the Konoha council, trying to not laugh at Koharu's indignant response to Minato and his wife walking in with a newborn infant. The initial response from the old woman involved her eyes popping out of her head, before demanding to know where the infant came from, insinuating through the context of her words that she assumed Kushina had stolen the child.

A choking sound came out of the thirds own mouth when Kushina very clearly, very loudly stated the infant was the third child of the current Kazekage. The previous Hokage felt the corner of his mouth twist up in amusement, while Homura's mouth dropped, his eyes wide in shock. A hysterical snorting sound came from Koharu's mouth in a very unladylike manner, leading her to say, "and so you stole the Kazekage's child?"

Minato smiled with that soft smile of his, and yet his blue eyes betrayed a level of sadness. "No, Rasa asked for us to take care of the infant. Karura isn't well, and the infant is very premature."

Hiruzen found himself speaking then, having an idea of the circumstances. "There's something you're not telling us."

The fourth Hokage's smile faded as he took a seat, his wife sitting near him as she tickled the infant's bare tummy. Minato's young student, stepped over, watching the action, the teen's eyes filled with curiosity. "The infant is a jinchuriki."

Of course, this would bring out a negative response from the female member of the council, standing up to lean over the table. Hiruzen's eyes closed, a deep breath leaving his lips. "Because there was no choice, and if we want to keep up the treaty with Suna, I think that turning away the Kazekage's child during their time of need is out of the question."

"That's not it! Surely Suna's council didn't approve of this. I know none of us would have approved of this had it been your own child." The atmosphere in the room quickly turned tense, the moods of both Minato and Kushina darkening. Koharu didn't realize she'd touched upon a sore spot for the couple, instead focused on the problem at hand. A thought crossed her mind. "Wait? Did the Kazekage do this without the council's permission? Do you know what kind of political mess this will put us into?"

"You do realize this mess is the result of Suna's council?" Hiruzen tapped his pipe to knock out some of the ashes before leaning back, his legs crossed so he could draw in a long breath. He let a ring of smoke float up to the roof, his head leaning back. "This is the result of Suna's council pushing to have a new jinchuriki. The youngest jinchuriki ever."

The man leaned forward, setting his pipe down. Looking Minato in the eye was out of the question, as the third didn't wish to show how much the events pained him. Koharu's facial features softened, sitting down in the chair with her arms crossed. "How cruel. We'd have never pushed this upon any of our Hokage."

Homura continued to frown, finally deciding to speak up. "Can we though handle this? Isn't the Shukaku the demon that keeps it's host awake?"

Hiruzen frowned. "Perhaps. Suna, however, bit off more than it could chew this time around. Things have gone downhill since the third. I'd like to not blame this on the current Kazekage, but Rasa's inability to fight back bothers me. One of the five major villages being weak does affect all of us and throws things out of balance."

"Raising in jinchuriki's not though the only problem." Homura's jaw set firm, the worry evident in his eyes. "The Kazekage just got rid of a major resource for his village. The council isn't going to be happy about this."

"It's temporary." Minato piped up, crossing his legs.

A silence fell over the room, and Kushina's head darted up from where she tickled the small infant. "Of course, it's only temporary. Gaara is after all Karura's little one. Not that bastards, though..."

Hiruzen watched Kushina bristle up, wondering if he should be amused by her reaction or not. He watched as Kakashi leaned forward, his focus more on the infant in front of him than anything else. The teen slowly moved his finger closer to the infant the fourth's wife held, his eyes widening as the infant grasped onto his finger.

"What's done is done. We can't exactly return the infant to Suna without repercussions, at least not until the right time comes. We'll have to be patient."

…

The atmosphere in the Suna council room remained tense, biting at the psyche of the Kazekage as he faced the elders of his hidden village. Rasa knew all too well the tongue lashing he would receive for the decision he made. His mind kept drifting to the frail bundle lying next to his wife, its skin as pale as his poor wife. Guilt hit him in the pit of the stomach deep, and he'd yet to register in his mind that it was a boy, his second son.

Gaara wasn't supposed to have come for two to three months.

"Where is the jinchuriki?"

Rasa swallowed, feeling sweat over his entire body, the wrong words coming out of his mouth. "The baby died?"

Those words, however, reflected how the Kazekage felt and for some reason one the elders bought his ill-spoken words while Lady Chiyo raised up one eyebrow in annoyance. "And what happened to the spirit."

"I ate it." The words were childish and foolish, yet Rasa struggled to think straight.

"Lord Rasa! What really happened to the baby?"

The reaction for some reason felt good despite the fact the Kazekage knew full well his words were out of place. He took a deep breath. "Karura gave the baby away."

A silence fell over the elders, and what he feared would happen did. "Lord Rasa, please tell us the truth."

"There is no way Lady Karura would give one of her children away. She's way to motherly."

"You want the truth. I threw the baby into a volcano." Rasa watched as Lady Chiyo let out an exasperated sound.

One of the elders cleared his throat. "And what happened to the spirit."

"The spirit of the volcano ate it." Rasa glared at the elders.

Lady Chiyo let out a deep breath. "Lady Karura is not well and made the decision to place our jinchuriki into the care of another, the jinchuriki of Konoha."

"Lord Kazekage! To allow one of your children to be influenced in their growth..."

"I agreed with this," Lady Chiyo lied, making him owe the old woman. "The infant was born premature and needs care I can not give with our limited facilities. Do we want our jinchuriki to thrive? A jinchuriki learning from another jinchuriki isn't a bad thing other. Instead of thinking about something that can not now be changed, please keep this and the fact Lady Karura is ill under wraps. It will not help Suna's morale."


	4. Jinchuriki Living Here Among Us

**A Grain of Sand Among the Leaves  
 _Jinchuriki Living Here Among Us_**

The sun peeked through the wax paper adorning the traditional doors of the small room, making the dust motes appear in the morning air. The dark eyes of the six-year-old blinked before pushing himself out of his futon. Itachi's feet made a sound when he first hurried off, but his training kicked in as he snuck into the kitchen where his mother, Mikoto was speaking to one of their neighbors and family members.

Next to his mother was a blanket where his six-month-old brother lay on his back chewing on his foot. A smile spread across Itachi's face, and Mikoto lets out a soft laugh as he knelt down next to the blanket, his eyes glued to the small infant. "Good morning Sasuke."

Out of the infant's mouth came a string of babbling which made no sense, the arms and feet kicking out in excitement. Itachi watched as the infant began to move, attempting to roll over. The family member who lived next door spoke in a light tone. "The Hokage got back with his wife sometime last night. The guards mentioned something."

"Oh." Mikoto's eyes sparkled. "I'd love to see Kushina again. Maybe she'll visit today."

Sasuke rolled over onto his stomach after a bit of effort and pushed himself up in a rather precarious manner. The other member of the Uchiha clan frowned. "But should they have been back from that diplomatic meeting so soon?"

Itachi frowned, the news hitting rather hard. His mother's mouth twisted into a frown, so the fourth Hokage returning that early must not be a good thing. He let out a sigh, looking down to see Sasuke crawling towards him, rocking as he did so, starting off by moving the wrong way. Soon his little brother was in his lap, attempting to pull himself up using Itachi's clothing, standing on his two legs in a rather shaky manner.

Outside they could hear the bustle of people starting their day to day business, and a sigh escaped his lips. At the age of only six, the young Uchiha already knew too well how irritating politics could get. One hand reached to steady Sasuke's back, preventing the infant from falling over backward. A shout came from outside as another member of the Uchiha clan hurried forward, her face flushed with excitement. If he recollected carefully, this member of the family was around twelve.

"Lady Kushina is coming to visit you Mikoto."

"Well, she normally does when she returns from a trip. She normally visits me every day unless there is something wrong."

"Kakashi Hatake's with her." The girl's hands leaped to her mouth, a squeal escaping her lips. "Lady Kushina's also got a baby with her."

'What?" Mikoto's eyes blinked a couple of times, indicating something confused her. The young female hurried back out of the home, making Itachi stare in confusion.

"Oh dear. Is she more excited about the young man she wants her first kiss from showing up here, or that Lady Kushina has some unknown infant with her?"

"Eww..." Itachi's nose wrinkled up, his hands gently wrapping around his younger brothers back.

His mother laughed, reaching out to ruffle his hair. "You won't think so when you get older. Mother knows this kind of thing."

The other woman stood up. "I'd best leave so you can have your tea."

The six-year-old Uchiha felt his mouth twist up, before looking up at his mother. "Was Aunt Kushina expecting a baby? How come we didn't know?"

Mikoto's eyes sparkled with mirth, ruffling his hair again. "Lady Kushina isn't able to have children, so perhaps she and the fourth decided to adopt a little one?"

"Does this mean Sasuke will have a friend his age?" Itachi's head tilted, wondering what kind of baby Lady Kushina found. A thought popped into his head of Kushina finding a wolf club and claiming the animal as a baby, sending a shudder through the small frame of the six-year-old.

"Maybe. That would be nice."

Itachi watched the door for when Lady Kushina walked through the door, the young jonin hot on her heals. The six-year-old frowned, wondering why Kakashi wasn't assigned to a more important task. The fourteen-year-old held up his hand so his fingers formed a peace sign when he saw Itachi. "Yo! I think that's the appropriate form of greeting."

The mouth of the six-year-old twisted into a frown, confused as to why the young jonin would do such a thing. "No, I don't think it is."

"Oh..." Kakashi seemed disappointed, but this fact soon became ignored in favor of the small bundle in Kushina's arms.

The infant had auburn colored hair, was tinier than any baby Itachi had ever seen. The skin was pale as if the infant were sickly, and the eyes were a pale seafoam green that didn't seem natural. The strangest feature was the black circles around the infant's eyes, something which wasn't at all normal. Itachi stood up to try and get a closer look, pulling Sasuke up into his arms as he did so. "Why does he have black eyes? He's too small for someone to punch him."

Mikoto's eyes widened, a hand touching her lips at her oldest son's comment. She removed her hand, shaking her head at Kushina. "I am so sorry. My son said something inappropriate."

Kushina blinked a couple of times, looking down at the baby while Itachi adjusted Sasuke so he was in a better position in his arms. The six-year-old glared at the strange infant. "Well, Gaara was born that way."

"Gaara..." Itachi's mouth wrinkled up, his head shaking. The name was rather strange.

"Why don't you take Sasuke and Gaara into the other room to play, Kakashi can go and help you keep an eye on them. You can keep the door opened a crack as well." Mikoto let out a sigh.

Kushina looked at Kakashi, whose facial features twisted up in confusion. "Um..."

"How hard is taking care of a baby?" The response from the fourteen-year-old elicited a laugh from Mikoto's mouth.

"Have you ever held a baby, Kakashi-san?"

"No. Why?"

Mikoto held out her arms. "Well, you need to hold your arms like this so that Kushina can give you the baby. You also need to support the baby's head as you hold them, otherwise, they'll get hurt, as they can't hold up their heads when they're little."

Itachi watched the mask of the young jonin move, indicating that Kakashi was thinking over her words carefully. He quickly held out his arms, and Kushina set Gaara into his arms. The teen let out a gasp. "Oh. He's so tiny."

"Hopefully, he won't be for long."

The teen's eyes widened, repositioning the infant in his arms carefully, before following after Itachi. The six-year-old sat Sasuke in his lap, and continued to stare at Gaara, but the view became even more strange at seeing one of the last people he'd ever expect to be sitting in front of him holding a baby.

"Are you alright with this?" Itachi held onto Sasuke's arms despite the fact the six-month-old wanted to go and explore.

"Alright with what?"

Itachi took a deep breath. He could hear his mother speaking in the other room. "So, where did you get the baby from Kushina? You didn't steal it did you."

A snort escaped Kakashi's lips as if the suggestion amused him. Kushina took on an indignant tone, and the young Uchiha found himself tempted to lean over, peeking through the crack in the door, letting go of Sasuke's arms as he did so. "No, I didn't! Minato and I are fostering the Kazekage's youngest."

The dark eyes of the six-year-old widened, shocked by what Lady Kushina said. Kakashi let out a sigh. "You'll want to keep that bit of information to yourself."

Itachi turned his head, looking at the boy, watching as Sasuke crawled over towards Gaara, wobbling as he did so. Gaara didn't notice, and simply blinked up at the sibling. "So, is the reason you're alright with this because you're getting to be the bodyguard to the Kazekage's kid?"

"It makes sensei and his wife happy."

"Yeah, but..." Itachi's mouth twisted into a frown. Sasuke continued to crawl slowly over to Gaara, the six-month infant's eyes twinkling with excitement at something new. A smell, however, filled the room, and Itachi's nose wrinkled up. Kakashi's eyes widened, shocked.

"What was that?"

"What, you've not smelled a diaper before?" Itachi moved over to Sasuke, pulling his little brother over so he could check Sasuke's diaper. His frown deepened, realizing the diaper in need of change wasn't his younger brother. He looked up at the young jonin. "It's yours."

"What? I didn't dealt it. That's something Guy would do."

"You..." Itachi's eyes blinked a couple of times, shocked that Kakashi was so clueless about something like a diaper. "Not you. The baby." The teen's dark eyes blinked a couple of times, still confused at what Itachi was getting at. "Didn't they ever change a diaper in front of you? Weren't you near enough to the baby to smell it?"

Kakashi stared for a few minutes. A silence had come from the other room as Mikoto went to get tea for her and Kushina. "Are you sure that... Is the baby really the Kazekage's? It doesn't sound like something Suna would do."

"The baby's two to three months early. His mother isn't doing well."

"Yes, but..." Another silence came as Mikoto thought about what Kushina said.

Kakashi, on the other hand, spoke in an abrupt manner. "Honestly, I stayed at least ten feet away the entire trip back."

Itachi's jaw dropped at the teen's admittance. The six-year-old set Sasuke down, heading into the room where their mother was still thinking of how to respond to her friend. "Aunt Kushina?"

"Yes?"

"Does Gaara have any diapers?"

Kushina patted the pouch at her side, before standing up. Itachi held out his small hands. "No. I can take care of it."

A smirk appeared on the female jinchuriki's face, and she pulled out the diaper and other needed items placing them in his small hands. She followed after the six-year-old, Itachi's mother following close behind. "This I have to see."

Itachi stepped into the room, noticing that Sasuke was attempting to make his way towards the other baby. Kakashi, on the other hand, had a rather confused look on his face, the six-year-old setting down the needed items finally drawing the teen away from the nasty smell.

Itachi spread out the blanket for changing, then held out his arms. "You need to set the baby down like this."

The white-haired teen's eyes blinked a couple of times before setting the infant gently down, remembering to support Gaara's head. "Now what?"

"You remove the diaper."

Kakashi's mouth wrinkled up, before reaching out to untie the diaper. Opening the offending piece of clothing made the smell worse, and his fingers went to plug his nose. "Eww. What... gross."

A laugh escaped Kushina's mouth, making the two look up. Itachi saw Kushina pulled his mother away, but the teen missed seeing the two watching them. "Of course, it's gross." Itachi found himself rather irritated with the teen and pulled Sasuke back into his lap. "How do you think babies go to the bathroom?"

"Oh... that's..." Kakashi shook his head, listening to Itachi's further instructions. Somehow, they managed to get a new diaper onto Gaara, and the six-year-old breathed a sigh of relief.

Itachi leaned back, glad his lesson was now over. He didn't notice Sasuke crawling across the floor again until he looked up in time to see the six-month-old reaching for Gaara. At first, this didn't seem concerning, but then something strange started to gather around the other infant as it sat there blinking and yawning at nothing.

Itachi felt his throat tightening, grabbing his baby brother and hurrying into the room. Mikoto still hadn't thought of anything to say. "Momma!" The two woman looked up. "There's something wrong with the other baby!"

"Gaara's hurt?" Kushina stood up, panic in her voice.

"No... there..."

Kakashi came in panic in his voice. "Kushina, is this supposed to be happening."

Both women stared at the sand floating around the infant in Kakashi's arms. The color drained from the faces of both women. Kushina clapped a hand over her mouth. "Jinchuriki abilities aren't supposed to start up this soon after the sealing."

"Jinchuriki?" Mikoto's voice strained. "The Kazekage's youngest is a Jinchuriki?" Itachi felt a thud in his heart, anger that something so dangerous was now near his baby brother. His mother's reaction surprised him. "Poor baby! I would never have... no wonder you and Mikoto are taking care of him. It must have been hard on the Kazekage and his wife."

"The Kazekage did the sealing."

"Yes, but with the way things are in Suna." Mikoto glanced at the two, shaking her head. "Sorry. Itachi, don't repeat what you've heard here."

"Not even father?" Itachi shuffled from one foot to another.

"I..."

Kushina took a deep breath. "If he asks, tell him that I requested he talk to Mikoto or me. He's the head of the police force, so he'll need to be filled in on the details eventually. Even if Gaara wasn't a jinchuriki, he'd want to know that we're caring for the Kazekage's son. It's not something we want people to know about, though."

Itachi frowned, not sure of the small stranger still held in the young jonin's arm, but then again, he didn't think Kakashi seemed a bit unsettled as well.


	5. Enclosed Feelings

**A Grain of Sand Among the Leaves  
 _Enclosed Feelings_**

The young jonin stared at the small creature sitting in the bassinet on the table. The chair Kakashi sat in was a foot or two away from the kitchen table. The fourteen-year-old leaned forward, watching the auburn-haired child do practically nothing. A sigh escaped Kakashi's mouth, wondering when Gaara would need to be fed next, or even changed. Instead, the infant's seafoam green eyes blinked a couple of times, not noticing the small deposits of sand gathered into the folds of the blankets underneath himself.

In Kakashi's mind, the visit to the Uchiha household ended in disaster even though Mikoto kindly gave what she could for the small infant. In some ways, the young, silver-haired jonin felt the woman simply gave help to Kushina and Minato in an attempt to keep up appearances, something Kakashi found the Uchiha clan to deem important. The fourteen-year-old worried his bottom lip, remembering the reaction of the clan towards Obito due to his companions inability to waken his #sharingan#.

The young shinobi went to the funeral, only to find the Uchiha's far more interested in his newly obtained ability, and whether he would keep their family secrets over the dead youth from their clan. Kakashi felt like the family wanted to bring him into the family, and yet also felt a level of disdain due to not being blood-related; the feeling wasn't one he could easily describe, but he did know he didn't like the feeling. However, Mikoto always treated the young jonin like family much in the same way Kushina and Minato did, accepting him as he was.

That would normally, in the mind of the fourteen-year-old, make Mikoto doing something for Kushina simply out of formality out of the question, but Kakashi clearly felt the anxiety in the room. Gaara's ability to move sand remained strange, an abnormality which set the child apart. The teen's dark eyes clearly saw the two adult females faces, and knew both were unsure of how to proceed. The auburn-haired infant looked so physically weak, and yet all four knew the sands were dangerous in nature.

Mikoto gathered up items quickly then, her dark eyes darting over to the small infant held in Kakashi's arms. The teen watched the woman try to smile at him, while Kushina took Gaara from his arms. The wife of the Uchiha head proceeded to pile into his arms a basket full of items. "Here's some of Sasuke's old clothes, though they won't fit Gaara for awhile, as he's much smaller than my little one was as a newborn. You'll have to have something specially made for him, or perhaps find another person with a premature child."

Kakashi carried the basket with no questions, his mouth pushing tightly as his eyes watched Kushina carefully. The fourteen-year-old noticed no other sign of the sand gathering around the small infant, and yet...

The entire situation felt off, reminding the silver-haired jonin of the times he felt an adrenaline rush during a mission. The teen found himself jolting away from his own thoughts upon hearing Kushina's voice. The voice of the Hokage's wife remained soft in tone, indicating a concern. "Are you alright?"

Kakashi felt his facial features wrinkle up under his mask, dropping the basket onto the table.

"I'm confused."

"About what?"

The silver-haired teen narrowed his dark eyes, his mouth pushing together, slowly gathering his thoughts. His attempt to avoid saying something which would rile up the fiery tempered woman failed. "Mikoto-san was rather rude to you, wasn't she?" The woman's chakra spiked, her hands reaching out to pull on Kakashi's cheeks. "Ow..."

"Don't ow me. Where did this idea come from? That Mikoto was rude to us?"

"She was in a hurry to get us out of there, and while she gave you some stuff for Gaara, none of it fits him. Aren't all newborn babies the same size?"

One of Kushina's eyebrows shot up. "You know, for being a child genius, you are one of the worst idiots I've met. Babies are not the same size, particularly when they're born prematurely. I've got to have someone make him clothing or find someone who had a preemie."

"Preemie?"

"A baby born prematurely." Kushina shook her head, before setting about reorganizing the hand-me-downs she'd gotten from Mikoto."

"The stuff's also used."

"It's the thing one does with babies, give away the old clothing so it can still be used, though you're supposed to keep aside the special outfits."

Kakashi's mouth wrinkled up. "Good grief. Are you telling me women are as nuts about baby clothing as they are their own?"

Soon the teen was hurrying out the window as Kushina threw things at him, her voice strained from yelling at him for saying something stupid. Kakashi let out a sigh, wondering what he'd done wrong, before heading back to the house he'd inherited from his father. Closing the door behind him left him staring at the empty home, reminding him of how alone he was when Minato and Kushina weren't around him. The feeling ate away, which was why Kakashi wanted to make sure they were happy in their lives. They made him happy.

A thought though crossed the young jonin's mind, making him step into his father's room. Kakashi's feet left footsteps on the ground, having not entered the room very often since his father's death. The teen opened up the closet and looked at the boxes. Kakashi's thin fingers pulled out the boxes, opening them up until he found the items from his infancy. The teen reached in, touching the toys, moving them aside until he found the clothing at the bottom, smaller than what Mikoto provided. A sigh escaped his mouth as he gathered them up in his arms, heading back to Hokage's place, slipping into the kitchen through the window again.

Kushina looked at him, a glare on her face as she rocked Gaara back and forth. "You're really a glutton for punishment, aren't you Kakashi?"

Instead of answering, the teen moved over to the table, dropping the clothes onto the wooden top. "I brought you something Kushina-san."

The red-haired female stared at him, making the fourteen-year-old shuffle from one foot to another once, the discomfort getting the better of him. He reached out and picked up an outfit. "I thought you said used clothes were okay when they were gifts?"

"Kakashi..." The woman carried Gaara over to the table, setting the baby into the bassinet Mikoto gave her. Kushina reached out, picking up one of the outfits, her mouth twisting up. "Where did you get these?"

"They were mine." The teen's dark eyes narrowed at her, wondering why the Hokage's wife was so upset. The silver-haired youth watched her facial features twist up, then felt a sharp sting across his cheek. Kakashi's eyes widen, a very painful feeling settling into his chest, the urge to cry in a very unmanly manner threatening briefly to surge forth, only to be replaced by anger. The young jonin turned to her, his fists clenching. "What the hell was that for!"

"Do you even understand what these clothes meant to someone in your family!"

Kakashi felt his eye twitch, his mouth twisting up as his own anger continued to flare. "As if that's any of your business! So what if my old man kept them! What of it!"

Kushina's eyes narrowed, her arms crossing her chest. "I know you used to have problems with your father, but I honestly thought you'd gotten over that! How can you be so cold! If he kept them, they meant something to him, yet you're just giving them away like this!"

The fourteen-year-old couldn't place the feelings which now upset his stomach, but he did know what was going on through his mind. A hot heat spread across his cheeks, his exasperation hitting a new high. The teen knew full well how important the clothes were, but this made the gift even more important. "You don't get it!"

The young jonin left through the kitchen window before the red-head lost her temper again, heading off to a nearby alleyway, kicking one of the trashcans good and hard. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!"

"What..." The deep voice from nearby made the young jonin let out a sigh, figuring a lecture would be coming. "Kakashi, what are you doing?"

"Nothing." The silver-haired youth glared at the trashcan, the small dents now evident.

"I obviously saw you kicking a trashcan. That's not doing anything." The other person sighed, stepping over, a hand clapping down on Kakashi's shoulder. This forced the other teen to look up into Asuma's face.

"I'm confused. If you knew what I was doing, then why did you ask what I was doing?" The silver-haired teen narrowed his eyes at the fifteen-year-old.

Asuma glared back, his mouth shutting firmly. "I think you know the question was intended as a way of asking you why you were doing what you were doing, rather than what you were doing." The older teen lowered his hand, raising an eyebrow, his mouth twisting up in worry. "This doesn't have to do with what happened to Rin does it?"

Kakashi's instinct amounted to moving away, moving swiftly to the top of one of the nearby trashcans, continuing to glare at the fifteen-year-old. "None of your business."

Asuma sighed, one hand reaching up to rub the back of his head. "Look. If you ever..."

"Don't need to talk."

An irritated sound escaped the lips of the third Hokage's son, and his hand reached down to his pocket, pulling out the packet of cigarettes. "Seriously, do you have to act like a feral cat all of the time?"

"I don't get what you're talking about, plus..." Kakashi pointed at the box, one hand on the top of the trashcan to keep him balanced. "Does your old man know you're smoking?"

"Shut up." Asuma pulled out his lighter, flicking the lever to light up. "Seriously, though, if you don't need to talk, explain the cans."

"You told me to shut up."

"Kakashi..." The fifteen-year-old turned, placing his back to the wall. A puff of smoke escaped his lips followed soon after by a laugh. "Alright. Still, you're not the only one hurting over Rin's death. Plus, don't you consider me enough of a friend to talk to me about what happened? Or do you want to talk to Guy about it?

The silver-haired teen moved from a crouched position to a sitting position. "Is this a question about whether I prefer you as a friend or Guy as a friend, or whether I would find Guy to be the right person to confide in? I'm not the type of person to confide things in people. You should know that."

The fifteen-year-old reached up to rub the back of his head. "Seriously, never mind. I'm guessing the real reason you don't talk to people is because you don't know how to. Talking does make people feel better you know."

The dark eyes of the silver-haired jonin blinked a couple of times, his hand reaching up to scratch his head, a thought having occurred. "You're right. I do feel better."

Asuma's eyes blinked, his mouth opening in a manner which made him nearly drop his cigarette. "What?" Kakashi moved to walk past the older teen, only to find the left shoulder of his clothing grabbed by the son of the third Hokage. "Exactly what got you upset?"

Kakashi's eyes blinked again. "They baby?"

"You don't like the baby?"

"No. Gaara's cute." The silver-haired teen paid no heed to the twitch on Asuma's face. "I'm mad at Kushina-san."

"Did you just say the word _cute_?"

The dark eyes of the fourteen-year-old narrowed. "If you ever tell anyone, I'll seriously kill you."

"You do realize that is..." The older teen lets go of his clothes, another sigh escaping Asuma's mouth. "Never mind. Explaining these things to you is a pain. Good luck not getting on the Hokage's wife's bad side. You might want to stay away for a bit if you made her angry."

The young teen, however, did not stay away, and headed back, slipping in through a different window this time. Gaara was now clothed in some of the clothing the silver-haired jonin brought over. Gaara's seafoam green eyes blinked a couple of times, his small hands barely moving, the auburn-haired infant's mouth moving to yawn. Kakashi offered his finger. "What got Kushina-san to change her mind?"

Minato's head appeared from one of the doorways, a smile on his face. "I explained to her, that you wanted some precious memories to go with something your father found precious. Do you want to hold him?"

Kakashi's eyes widened. "I..." The fourteen-year-old swallowed. "I only ever picked him up once, and I'm not sure I did it right. We were kind of in a hurry." The teen paused, remembering what happened, turning his head to look at his sensei. "Did she tell you about want happened?"

"Yes. I've added it to the things I've got to talk to the head of the police force about." The blond haired man walked over, ruffling Kakashi's silver-haired locks. "Plus, it's kind of hard not to notice the light dusting of sand around him. To pick him up, you need to support his head, move slowly and gently. Think you can do that?"

The fourteen-year-old let out a strangled sound. "I don't know. That is so different than, you know, a shinobi weapon."

"I think you can do it."

Kakashi took a deep breath, carefully, gently, but very awkwardly picking up the small infant, his dark eyes widening. His mouth formed a circle. He noticed again Gaara's small size, but how soft the baby's skin was. The teen sat down gently in the chair, watching Gaara carefully, a smile spreading across his face. Kushina drifted into the room, her arms folding across her chest. "Kakashi..."

The teen's head darted up, his dark eyes blinking a few times.

"I'd like to take the baby out for some fresh air, so..."

"No!" The silver-haired teen felt his entire body tense up.

The woman's aura began to flare up, the anger flaring in her eyes. "I get that fact you've gotten attached, but I've got things to do, and Gaara's coming with me."

"No!" The silver-haired teen turned his head to look at Minato, his eyes pleading. The look on his sensei's face, however, proved discouraging, as the Hokage's mouth pressed together, indicating the man wished not to deal with the situation.

"No arguments!" Kushina's anger became more evident.

"It's not safe!"

Minato's eyes widened upon hearing these words from Kakashi, then his mouth opened up. The Hokage moved over to his wife, shaking his head and pulling her into another room. Kushina flinched at this action, not understanding what concerned her husband. She glanced over at Kakashi, but her facial features for some reason softened.

In the long run, the young jonin didn't care, so long as Gaara wasn't taken outside where people could find out his secret. The infant was, as Kakashi said, safe from prying eyes inside the house. The teen didn't know the two adults were speaking of his reaction in the other room.


End file.
